Adjustment mechanism for wrapping machine cross-feed conveyers



Sept. 9, 1947. w. HOPPE 2,427,141

ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM FOR WRAPPING MACHINE CROSS FEED CONVYERS.

Filed Dec. s, 1945 s smeris-sheet 1 Sept. 9, 1947. w. HOPPE 2,427,141

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Patented Sept. 9, 1947 ADJUSTMENTMECHANISM FOR WRAPPING MACHINE CROSS-FEED CONVEYERS William Hoppe, Longmeadow, National Bread Wrapping Springfield, chusetts Mass., assignor to Machine Company,

Mass., a corporation of Massa- Application December 3, 1945, Serial No. 632,458

4 Claims.

This invention relates to conveyor mechanism for carrying articles such as sliced loaves of bread into accurate position relative to a wrapping machine, and in particular to improved mechanism by which the members for grasping the ends of the articles may be varied in spacing during the operation of the conveyor and either concurrently with or independently of the other adjustable parts of the wrapping machine.

The improved mechanism will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan of the mechanism with some parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail of the connection between the conveyor adjusting means and the control by which this means may be adjusted simultaneously with other parts of the wrapping machine;

Fig. 4 is a detail of certain chain tightening mechanism, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the Way that centralization of the article grippers is accomplished;

Fig. 6 is a Side elevation taken from the side` opposite to that seen in Fig. 2

Fig. 7 is a section on line 'I- of Fig. l; and Fig. 8 is a detail of the gripper adjusting means. The conveyor is composed of two parallel chains l and 2 respectively carrying reversely offset brackets 3 and 4 bearing flights or paddles 5 and 3. The brackets 3 and 4 pass up through a common slot 'I in a table 8 along which the sliced loaves are conveyed. The chains pass at one end over during sprockets 9 and I and at the other end over idle sprockets which have not been shown. Y

The drive for the conveyor is derived` from a pinion l I xed to a shaft I2 and geared by means not shown to a suitable intermittent drive by which the conveyor chains are advanced periodically and come to rest with their pairs of paddles centralized about a fixed station such as in frontl of a laterally moving pusher I3. Shaft I2 has keyed to it a bevel gear I4 meshing with a bevel gear l5 keyed at IS to a laterally extending shaft Il. A gear I8 is secured to the hub of bevel gear I5 and meshes with a gear I9 rotatable on a lateral stub shaft 2l] and having a sprocket 2| secured to its hub as by screws 22. The sprockets 9 and I0 are mounted on casing members 23 and 24 collectively forming a housing for a different gearing. The casing members are freely rotatable on the shaft I l, and have bevel gears 25 and 26 secured to their inner (Cl. ISS-179) faces as by screws 2'I. A spider 28 having a plurality of stub shafts 29 is keyed to shaft I'I at 30. Each stub shaft has a bevel pinion 3l mounted upon it for free rotation, each pinion meshing with both bevel gears 25, 26. The spider thus serves as a driving connection between the shaft I1 and the sprockets 9, I0 while permitting relative adjustment of the latter.

If the shaft I'I be considered fixed and casing 24 is rotated slightly the pinions 3| will be turned, causing casing 23 to rotate an equal amount in the opposite direction. As the casings carry the chain-driving sprockets 9 and I0 the result of this motion will be to shift the two chains in opposite directions so that the pairs of flights carried by the chains will be caused to approach or separate according to the direction in which casing 24 was turned. If the shaft and casing 214 are both in rotation at the same rate a similar effect Will be produced by rotating the casing a slight amount forward or back on the shaft, so that by the provision of mechanism for relatively shifting the casing and shaft while in motion the spacing of the conveyor flights can be adjusted While the machine is in operation.

For this purpose the sprocket 2| is connected by a chain 32 with a sprocket 33 coupled to casing 24 as by screws 34. The sprockets 2l and 33 have the same ratios of pitch diameters as the gears `I9 and I8 with which they are respectively coupled, so that casing 24 will be driven at the same speed and in the same direction as shaft II'I. The chain does not pass directly between the sprockets, `but as best shown in Fig. 8, passes over idler sprockets 35, 36 on a rocker 31. The rocker is pivoted at 38 to a support 39 having a tongue and groove connection 40 (Fig. 4) with a portion 4i of the frame. It is held in place by bolts 42 passing through slots 43 (Fig. 1) in the frame and threaded into the support. A bolt 44 passes freely through a portion 45 of the frame and is threaded into the support so that, if bolts 42 are loosened, the support may be shifted to keep the chain taut. The upper part of the rocker is formed as a segmental gear 43 engaging a worm 41 on a short shaft 48. A gear 49 attached to the worm meshes with a gear 50 on a shaft 5I. As the rocker is tilted one way or the other the chain Will be shifted in position so as to turn sprocket 33. The angular relation between the casing 24 and shaft I 'I can thus be varied even during their intermittent rotation.

This shaft 5I extends to a place convenient for manual adjustment during operation of the machine. It is shown as passing freely through a sleeve 52 (Fig. 3) rotatable in a portion 53 of the frame and having a sprocket 54 formed on its inner side. A collar 55 secured to shaft 5I engages the sprocket to hold it in position. The outer end of the sleeve is notched at 56 to receive prongs 5l onthe hub of a handwheel 58.which is slidable on the shaft and is pressed towards the sleeve by a spring 59 compressed between the handwheel and a collar 60 secured to the shaft. The prongs 51 pass through notches in a collar 5I fast on the shaft. If the handwheel iS pulled out against the spring it will engage the` collar only, and can be used to adjust the shaft 5I independently of the sleeve 52. In the normal position of the handwheel the prongs connect the notched collar 6I to the sleeve, and as the latter is coupled by a chain 62 withthe shaft ofa handwheel 63 having chain connection 64 with various other adjustable parts of the machine. (suchas the folders and guides of= a wrapping mechanism) the latter handwheel can be used to adjust the spacing of flights 5,V andsimultaneously with the adjustment of these other parts, Adjustment of the flights independently is secured by pulling out `and rotating handwheel 58.

One additional., adjustment is provided to facilitate accurate centering, of the pairs of flights 5' and 6' with respect to the rest position of the conveyor in front of the pusher I3. Thisis accomplished by passing the screws 21 which s eslots 65 in the casing. Thispermits an adjustment of flights 5 independentlyof ilights 6 as shown in Fig. 5 tosecure accurate centralization, after which the spacing can be adjusted by handwheels 58er 63.

To summarize briefly the manner in which the device operates, the main drive shaft I2 will be assumed to be in intermittent rotation. This motion is transmittedto shaftA I'I throughA gears LII and I5, and to the casing 24 through gears I8- and I9 and chain 32; Since the shaft and the casing are thus rotating in the same direction and at the same rate, and spider 28 is fast on the shaft, pinions 3| cannot rotate on their individual axes and therefore act to` drive the casing 23 at the same speed asthe shaft and casing 24, Both chains I and 2` travelat the same speed and the pushers of the two sets 5 and 5 remain spaced apart at a constant distance whether the chains are moving or at rest. If,l however, the rocker 3l' is shifted by turning either of the handwheels the chain will be pulled one way or another around sprocket 33, resulting in an angular displacement of the sprocket (and hence casing relative to thev shaft. This displacement causes bevel gear 2 6 to turn the pinions 3l on their individual axes and thus produces a rotation of casing 23 relative to the shaftan amount equal and opposite to the displacementl of casing 24. The conveyor pusher pairs will thus be moved toward or away from each other an equal amount so that their centralization in rest position will not be altered.

What I claim is:

l. In a conveyor of the type having adjacent chains alternately bearing article grasping members, sprockets around which the chains pass, and a differential gearing connecting the sprockets and having: a, pair of gears one connected to each cure bevel-gear to casing 2?, through arcuate sprocket and an intermediate gear coupling said pair of gears; adjusting and driving mechanism comprising a shaft carrying the intermediate gear for bodily rotation, a connection between the shaft and one of said sprocket-connected gears for driving it in the same direction and at the same rate as the shaft, and means interposed in said connection to displace said driven gear angularly relative to the shaft.

2. In a conveyor of the type having adjacent chains alternately bearing article grasping members, sprockets around which the chains pass, a differential gearing connecting the sprockets and having a pair of gears one connected to each sprocket and an intermediate gear coupling said pair of gears; adjusting and driving mechanism comprising a shaft carrying the intermediate gear for bodily rotation, a driving connection betweenthe shaft and one of the sprocket-connected gears including a chain and sprockets, one of which is coupled to the latter gear, and means for varying the path of said chain to cause rotation of one of said last-named sprockets relative to the shaft.

3. In a conveyor of the type having adjacent chains alternately bearing article grasping members, sprockets around which the chains pass, a differential gearing connecting the sprockets and having a pair of gears one connected to each Sprocket and an intermediate gear coupling said pair of gears; adjusting and driving mechanism comprising a rst shaft carrying the intermediate gear for bodily rotation, a driving connection between the shaft and one of the sprocket-connected gears including a second shaft parallel to and driven by the first shaft, a chain and sprocket connection between thesecond shaft and the latter gear, a pair of idler sprockets over which said chain passes, and means for moving said idler sprockets simultaneously in opposite directions.

4. In a conveyor of the type having adjacent chains alternately bearing article grasping members, sprockets around which the chains pass, a differential gearing connecting the sprockets and 0having a pair of gears one connected to each sprocket and an intermediate gear coupling said pair of gears; adjusting and driving mechanism comprising a first shaft carrying the intermediate gear for bodily rotation, a driving connection between the shaft and one of the sprocket-connected gears including a second shaft parallel to and driven by the first shaft, a chain and sprocket connection between the second shaft and the latter gear, a pair of idler sprockets over which said chain passes, a pivoted rocker carrying said idler sprockets on oppositesides of its pivot, means for shifting the pivot bodily to tighten the chain, and means for tilting the rocker to adjust the angular position of said latter gear relative to the shaft.

WILLIAM HOPPE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 

